CAUGHT IN THE ACT
A Memoir by Courtney Act
Boy, girl, artist, advocate. Courtney is more than the sum
of her parts.
Meet Shane Jenek. Raised in the Brisbane suburbs by loving parents, Shane
realizes from a young age that he’s not like all the other boys. At a
performing arts agency he discovers his passion for song, dance, and
performance, and makes a promise to himself: to find a bigger stage.
Meet Courtney Act. Born in Sydney around the turn of the millennium,
Courtney makes her name in the gay bars of Oxford Street and then on Australian
Idol. Over ten years later, she makes star turns on RuPaul’s Drag
Race and Celebrity Big Brother UK, bringing her unique take on
drag and gender to the world.
Behind this rise to national and global fame is a story of searching for and
finding oneself. Told with Courtney’s trademark candor and wit, Caught in
the Act is about our journey towards understanding gender, sexuality, and
identity. It’s an often hilarious and at times heartbreaking memoir from a
beloved drag and entertainment icon. Most of all, it’s a bloody good time.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT is hilarious, heartbreaking, honest, hopeful, and so much more. Shane lets it all out as they take us on a journey of self-discovery from childhood to the present day.
Shane’s openness and vulnerability about the highs, the lows, and the many questions in their life makes for a compelling memoir. It was entertaining. It was certainly educational (be warned: some of the sexcapades veer towards TMI). And while distressing at times, I think it was important that Shane didn’t shy away from the many difficulties of their life.
The personal bonus for me was that the book was also a trip down memory lane. The venues and the Sydney of the early 2000s that Shane mentions in the book are so familiar to me. It certainly put a smile on my face to listen to the book while the bus I take for my work commute trundles down Oxford Street – especially since a good number of the places mentioned in the book are still operating.
Shane Jenek narrates the audiobook, and does so brilliantly. His personable delivery had me willingly going along for the ride: The fun moments, the sombre moments, and the outrageous moments had my own emotions yo-yoing.
Thoroughly recommended!
Audiobook borrowed from my library. I love libraries!
Shane Jenek aka Courtney Act is a drag artist, singer, advocate and cultural provocateur. She has appeared on reality TV in Australia and overseas, including her breakout in 2003 on the first season of Australian Idol; making the Top 3 on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 6; and taking the UK by storm on Celebrity Big Brother, which she won. When Courtney isn’t busy being glamorous on TV and stage, she’s a boy from Brisbane called Shane Jenek.
As a gender-fluid, queer person, Courtney uses her public profile to educate audiences on issues such as gender identity, sexuality, marriage equality, anti-racism and more. As a singer-songwriter she has released a pop EP and entertained audiences in her cabaret shows throughout the world. She currently splits her time following Pride parades and chasing summer between London, Los Angeles and Sydney.
http://courtneyact.com/
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